When Kim Pedersen, owner of Tech Elevator Company Ltd (Napier, New Zealand) started looking for an electronic
control solution for his new elevator product range, he needed something with more flexibility, and better pricing,
than a typical small PLC. He discovered SPLat, and recognized it as a close match to his needs.
Tech Elevator now use a SPLat board level PLC in virtually every product they make. This ranges from scissor lifts
and dumb waiters to commercial building elevators. They use both hydaulic and traction technology. (Coincidentally
we used a dumb waiter as an example of programming with our Tabula programming tool.)
Tech Elevator design their products with a service life expectation of 30 years or more.
It is therefore important to them that, naturally, the controller be reliable. What is also significant
is that the overall product be easy to service. This why Kim selected the SL88
(which has subsequently evolved into the SL100 programmable controller card)
for his initial evaluation of a SPLat. The LED input and outputs provide him with the basic no-brainer
diagnostic indicators needed by a service technician with possibly limited factory training. The SPLat
controllers are also measuring up on the reliability front; the first elevator with an SPLat, installed in
2002, is still working flawlessly in 2012.
Unrelated to elevators, Kim also makes a product that cuts and counts programmable lengths of steel
banding for a wool baling machine.
Tech Elevator Company Ltd, New Zealand
Elevators, platform lifts, scissor lifts, wheelchair platform hoists, dumbwaiters and commercial lifts
Controller type:Off the shelf SPLat
Key features:I/O indicator LEDs, integral user interface
Programming:Done by the customer
Relationship:Since 2002
SPLat advantage:Out of the box functionality (a.k.a real-world I/O circuits); Future proof/expandable; Reliability; Value for money